


Velvet Hill

by ivyraine



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: 90s, Actress Brienne, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Notting Hill, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Simpleton Jaime, romcom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26372062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivyraine/pseuds/ivyraine
Summary: Jaime Lannister lives a simple life in Velvet Hill, Pentos. That is until world famous actress, Brienne Tarth stops by his bookshop.Notting Hill AU
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 37
Kudos: 82





	1. You Belong in Jail

**Author's Note:**

> notting hill is my favorite romcom of all time and i really wanted to do a jaime/brienne version. i hope you enjoy! i’m gonna go into deeper detail at the end notes if you want to know more :)

Of course he’d seen her films and always thought she was, well, astonishing. But she was a million miles away from the world he lived in, which was Velvet Hill, Jaime’s favorite bit of Pentos. 

There was the market that took up the street on the weekends, forcing cars to steer clear of Astapor Lane. Vendors from all over the world pitching up their different color tents to sell every fruit and vegetable known to man. There were the pubs, one on every corner, known for having at least one bar brawl before the drunkards would be kicked out for the night and then welcomed back the next. And of course the movie theatre, that was infamously known as _The Playwright_ because technically it was an old play stage that had been turned into a beautifully vintage looking cinema. 

So this is where Jaime spent his days and years, in a small village in the heart of the city where he lived in a house with a blue door he had originally purchased with his wife, before she skipped out on him for a younger man who looked like Prince Rhaegar from the Targaryen Era. It was a small piece of the world that Jaime was happy he discovered, despite the sadness that lingered whenever he walked through that blue door. 

So maybe he was living a half life now, with his eccentric, ginger haired, bushy roommate called Tormund. But he had his medieval bookshop he owned and his friends that also decided to settle in Velvet Hill, so he really couldn’t complain too much and if Jaime was being honest with himself, he really didn’t want to. He was more numb than broken by his wife's decision and he was perfectly happy with just going on with life like she had never existed. 

So it was just another hopeless Thursday when Jaime walked the fifty yards from his flat to his shop, never suspecting that it was the day that was going to change his life… 

***

With Peck hovering over his shoulder, Jaime punches in the numbers quickly, hoping maybe today could bring him some good news. 

Jaime loved his quaint bookshop. _Oathkeeper Books_ , named after one of history’s most famous valyrian steel swords and personally Jaime’s favorite. 

Ever since he was little, Jaime was fascinated with history. He loved the stories of the honorably, brave knights saving a maiden so she would grant them a kiss for their chivalry. He loved learning about the old kings who used to rule the land; the kind ones and the cruel ones. He could get lost in a history book, no matter how boring the text could be. He was good at reading in between the lines and creating a movie in his head of the history in front of him. He would take the monotone words and create something beautiful in his mind. 

But that didn’t mean that everyone else loved history as well. In fact, more often than not, Jaime found that people did _not_ share his love of history, and it showed when he ran his shop’s numbers.

“Well?” Peck asks, after Jaime presses the equal button on the calculator.

Jaime sighs, “Classic. Profit from major sales push minus 347 dragons…” 

Silence hangs uncomfortably in the air, as Jaime watches Peck’s face scrunch up in disappointment. He runs a hand through his shaggy brown hair and shrugs, “Would a coffee cheer you up? I can run across the street quickly.” 

Jaime turned his attention down towards his notebook, scribbling the numbers in his records, “You know what, yeah. Yeah.” As Peck turns to flee, Jaime calls out, “Better make it a small though, it’s all I can afford.”

He could hear Peck chuckle tightly before the bell rang above the door and he was gone. Jaime briefly looked up from his notebook to see a rather tall blonde woman with dark sunglasses take Peck’s place before he went back to jotting down the numbers. He doesn’t know what makes him do a double take, but he looks back up at the woman and something about her feels familiar. 

She’s wearing a black buret on top of her head with her hair coiled prettily to her shoulders. Her sunglasses cover most of her face, but he can see a small dent in her nose and freckles splattered across her cheeks. Her lips are plump and pink and are quirked up in a smile as she touches one of the book’s spines. 

_It can’t be…_ Jaime thinks. 

“Uh,” He quickly clears his throat, “Er, can I help you?” 

The woman darts her eyes towards him, almost in shock that he’s talking to her. She has on a black leather jacket that fits her broad shoulders snuggly and a plain white v-neck underneath it. Her ridiculously long legs are fitted in tight jeans that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination and on her feet are black little booties. 

She gives him a polite shake of her head, “No, thank you. I’m just browsing.” 

“Okay.” Jaime says, dumbly, not taking his eyes off of her. 

Because it _is_ . It’s Brienne _freaking_ Tarth! Currently the most famous actress in the world in _his_ bookshop! Of course he knew who she was. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know who she was. Her face covered most advertising boards on highways and on the side of bus’s or on top of cabs. She’s won prestigious awards for her films and was a real role model to the younger generation.

She didn’t have the prettiest face in the business but that’s what got her famous in the first place. Her thick waist, long legs, crooked nose and tree trunk thighs were seen as “something different” and it’s what made her Hollywood royalty. But it wasn’t only that, Brienne was an _incredible_ actress _._ She had the talent of getting you to look past her looks and focus on the craft of her work. 

That’s why most men are attracted to her. Not because of her unpretty face but because of the roles she played. 

That’s not to say that she doesn’t get ridiculed in the press for her atypical features. Of course when you live such a high profile life, it’s expected to get a little backlash. But Jaime doesn’t agree with any of it. 

If you ask him, he always thought that Brienne had the most beautiful sapphire blue eyes he had ever seen. But seeing her in person? Jaime wanted to drown in those crystals. 

He notices she plucks a book from one of the cases and he can’t help but read the title, _Sea of Myrth_. 

Before he can stop himself, his stupid mouth opens to speak, “That one’s really not that great.” 

She slowly turns towards him, book in hand and one of her pale eyebrows raised behind her glasses. She doesn’t say anything so Jaime takes it as a sign to keep talking, “I mean if you're looking for information on Myr, that’s not the one to look at.” 

He suddenly remembers that there was actually a good book on Myr cluttered behind the register somewhere so Jaime quickly started to rummage around to find it.

“I have one around here somewhere that’s pretty decent if you're looking into their beaches,” He explains as he ducks under the counter, “I’m pretty sure the author has actually been to Myr and if I remember correctly there was a pretty amusing incident with a dolphin.” When Jaime finally finds the book he lifts it in the air with a proud grin before straightening up and looking at her again.

She has the strangest expression on her face. Almost as if she is holding in a laugh but also trying to remain neutral during his babbling.

He clears his throat, “I mean if that interests you.”

“Thanks,” She says shortly, before turning her attention back to the book in her hands. “I’ll think about it.” 

But Jaime can’t seem to keep his mouth shut, “Or—” He was about to grab another book from behind him when his eyes fell on his security camera screen that was propped up on the desk. The camera faced the back of the shop and was currently recording a man with a pinched face and a bald shiny head stuffing _The Delicacy of Dorne_ book down his trousers. 

Jaime internally groans and then turns back to Brienne, “I’m sorry. If you could excuse me for a second?”

Brienne doesn’t say anything, just nods and goes back to her browsing while Jaime makes his way towards the back of his shop. 

Calmly, he approaches the thief. No need to scare the man no matter how frustrated Jaime feels, “I’m sorry but I’ve got bad news.”

The man looks at him with a dazed expression, “What?”

Jaime points to the camera hidden above the door, “We’ve got a camera right up there.” Jaime gives him a chance to tell the truth. 

The man doesn’t flinch, “And?”

“And I saw you put that book down your trousers.”

“What book?” He asks, dismissively. 

“The one down your trousers.”

“I don’t have a book down my trousers.” 

Jaime’s scoffs and runs a hand through the light stubble that shadows his jawline, “Right,” He says, “Well I’m going to call the police and if I’m wrong, if there is not a book down your trousers then I sincerely apologize.” 

The man pauses for a moment and Jaime notices his eyes glance towards the camera, “Okay, let's say there is a book down my trousers.”

“Well then, ideally, you would take _The Delicacy of Dorne_ out of your trousers, wipe it off and put it back or buy it.” Jaime says, impatiently, “I’ll see you in a second.”

Quickly, Jaime returns back to the register where Brienne Tarth is waiting with the book he had recommended in her hands. “Sorry ‘bout that.” He says, slipping behind the counter. 

“Oh, that’s alright.” She says, still flipping through the pages except now she has on a leer smile that almost reaches her eyes, “I was gonna steal one but now I’ve changed my mind.” 

Jaime couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his throat. 

“Signed by the author, I see.” She says as Jaime checks the security camera again. The man had taken the book out of his trousers and looked to be dusting it off with his jacket. 

“Uh, yes,” He answers, a bit distracted. “Couldn’t stop him. But if you could find one without a signature, I bet it would cost a fortune.”

She chuckles softly at that and Jaime is swimming with pride in that fact that he made Brienne Tarth _giggle_. But before she can take out her wallet to pay for her book, the thief appears from the back of the store. He marches right up to her with a queer, wide look in his eye, “Excuse me?”

“Yes,” she says, dryly.

“Can I get your autograph?” 

“Uh, sure.”

Brienne turns to Jaime and for a moment, he doesn’t know what she’s asking him but he catches on when she eyes the pen next to the register. He quickly plucks the pen and a scrap of paper together and hands it to her. 

“What’s your name?” She asks.

“Polliver.” He says, scratching the back of his neck. 

The three of them are surrounded in a cloud of silence as she scribbles her autograph on the paper and hands it to him without a smile. 

He takes it, his eyes not leaving hers, “What’s it say?” Polliver asks. 

“Well my signature is on the bottom but above it, I wrote, ‘Dear Polliver, you belong in jail.’”

Jaime doesn’t know how this guy is gonna react to that and his heart starts to speed up a bit. Brienne’s got balls.

The guy just laughs it off though, “Good one. Hey, do you want my number?”

Jaime swallows a laugh, wondering if the scene that is playing out in front of him is real. 

There’s an amusing sparkle in Brienne’s expression as she eyes Polliver, “Tempting,” She says, “But no, thank you.”

Thankfully, the thief took the hint and gave her a surprisingly polite nod and stalked out of the store, leaving Jaime alone with Brienne.

“I will take this one, though.” She says, her fingertips grazing the _Sea of Myrth_. 

Jaime almost forgot about the sale, “Oh, right!” He exclaims as he starts to wrap the book up for her, “On second thought, it’s not so bad.” He punches the price into the register and takes the money she had handed to him. “It’s a classic really,” He finds himself babbling, “Won’t find any of those childish dolphin swimming stories in there.”

He hands her her change, “But um, you know what, I’ll just throw in one of those for free.” He says, taking his recommended book and sliding it into the bag with the purchased one. “Useful for navigating sting rays or pinching crabs and such.” 

_Pinching crabs_? Jaime chastises himself but doesn’t let his smile falter. He will probably never see her again so at this point, if he does make a fool out of himself at least he got her to smile. He could cross that off of his bucket list. 

“Thanks,” She says, a soft smile on her face as she takes the bag from him.

“Pleasure,” Jaime answers. And then he watches her walk away. Maybe a little too closely but who can blame him? Brienne Tarth just bought one of his books! 

After the door is shut and the bell is ringing in the distance, Jaime lets out a squeal and a long breath he didn’t know he was holding in. He finds himself in some sort of dreamland and all he could see is Brienne’s deep blue eyes. 

The only thing that snaps him out of it was once Peck returned with his drink. “Your coffee, boss,” Peck says, carefully handing Jaime his coffee as he blows on the top of his own. 

“Thank you, Peck,” He says. Then, “You’ll never believe who was just in here,” before he could stop himself. 

Peck’s eyes light up and Jaime could see his mind spinning with all the possibilities of who he could be talking about, “Who? Was it someone famous?” 

Jaime opens his mouth to let the whole story just plop out, but then he thinks back and just finds it all so utterly… ridiculous and silly and unbelievable. So instead he just brings the cup to his lips and mutters, “No. It was no one.”

Peck seems to be satisfied with that answer because he goes on to say, “Imagine if someone famous did enter the shop. How cool would that be.”

Jaime thinks of Brienne’s eyes once more before he answers his employee, “That would be astonishing.” 


	2. Apricots and Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime runs into Brienne again.

The rest of the morning went rather slowly, which was normal for his bookshop but instead of thinking of ways where he could ring in more customers, his thoughts were consumed by Brienne Tarth. He didn't mean for her to linger in his mind but he couldn’t stop thinking about her. 

“Boss, you wanna go get lunch?” Peck calls from behind the counter, giving him a pointed look, “You like you could use a break.” 

Jaime tries not to let that sting but he agrees, he really could use some fresh air, “Sure. What do you want?”

Peck wrinkles his eyebrows as he thinks of an answer, “Another coffee, maybe? Oh, wait, no, I know what I want. How about an orange juice and a bagel?” He has the brightest smile plastered to his face. 

Jaime can’t help but shake his head fondly as he makes his way back out onto Astapor Lane,  _ Oathkeeper Books _ disappearing behind him as he strolls to the small cafe two blocks over. He tries to distract himself from those blue eyes that keep popping up in his mind. He looks into every shop he passes, even a boutique that Jaime has never had any interest in. He makes it a point to smile at  _ everyone  _ who makes eye contact, half hoping someone would catch his eye and half hoping greeting other people would get her out of his head. 

It wasn’t really working well.

After he pays for his and Peck’s lunches, Jaime tips the worker behind the register and makes his way back to  _ Oathkeeper Books _ . He spots his blue door across the street and gets a sickening feeling of nausea rush over his body so he quickly decides to make a sharp turn in the opposite direction when––

“Oh!” a female voice shouts.

“Oh shit!” Jaime screeches. 

His pretty blue buttoned down shirt was  _ covered _ with half of Peck’s orange juice and the other half of the drink had soaked…

_ Brienne Tarth! _

_ Shit!! _

“Oh my god!” She shrieks, trying to keep her white shirt from sticking to her skin. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Jaime pleads as he tries to assess the damage. “I’m so sorry! Here, let me––” He ties to dab the stains on her shirt with one of the napkins he had in his hands from his lunch before he realizes he was basically reaching for her breasts. 

“Don’t touch me!” Brienne cries, incredulously as she leaps away from him. 

“I’m really sorry,” Jaime tries again, “I live just down the street,” He points to his blue door but Brienne is to engrossed with trying to dry herself to follow his eye, “I have water and soap so you can clean up and––”

“I just need to find my car,” She grumbles as she tries to pass him, but Jaime follows her. 

“I have a phone, as well. You can call for help if you need.” He realizes that he’s basically pleading with her but he can’t be bothered to care. She just stares at him. “Please, I feel awful. I promise it won’t take longer than a few minutes and you’ll be up and on the street again. Not, though, in a prostitute sense, obviously.” 

_ Gods, Jaime. SHUT UP!  _ He closes his eyes for a moment to regain his nonexistent cool before he notices she had actually cracked a smile. But as soon as they make eye contact again, that cute scowl is twisted back into her face. 

“All right. Well, what do you mean, ‘just down the street’?” She challenges him, her plump lips pressed together. 

Jaime looks past her and points to his cursed house, “Just there, the one with the blue door.”

Brienne holds his stare from behind her big sunglasses for a moment longer before she mumbles something to herself under her breath and marches ahead of him. And then Jaime finds himself incredulously following Brienne Tarth into his home. 

As soon as the blue door closes behind them, Jaime goes into panic mode. His house is completely  _ trashed  _ thanks to that Tormund. He jumps ahead of her to start throwing pots and pans under tables and brushing crumbs under mats. “I’m so sorry about this,” He apologizes again as he chucks three dishes into the messy sink, “It’s usually a bit more tidy than this.”

Brienne gradually follows him to the kitchen, walking around the kitchen table and stopping at the base of the staircase. She doesn’t say anything, just watches him scurry around the flat like a mouse. 

“Er, the bathroom is on the second floor and the telephone is to your right when you get up the stairs,” Jaime says with, which he hopes, is his blinding smile. Brienne just gives him a curt nod and looks a bit flustered. He sees her battle with what to do with her shopping bags behind those sunglasses before Jaime reaches out and grabs them all except one, which she keeps close to her side, “Sorry, I’ll just put them––” He puts them on a chair in the hallway. 

“Thank you,” She replies, softly. Then she climbs the staircase, eyeing the odd pictures he has up on the wall before coming to a stop.

“One more!” Jaime calls, as he motions for her to climb the other case. She nods and then disappears.

Jaime then spins around, scans the room and starts to rapidly clean his house as fast as he can in the small time interval he has before she is finished. It takes about ten minutes before he hears her footsteps start to cascade from above him that he finishes cleaning what he could and quickly wipes down the kitchen table. 

When she appears, Jaime feels his heart in his throat. She had changed into a rather fancy looking matching two piece. The top was a black sparkly crop top that ended just below her chest and showed off her incredibly defined abs. It was paired with a skirt of the same material that reached the top of her knees and left her long, milky, toned legs bare. 

But what really did Jaime in was her dazzling eyes. She had taken off her sunglasses and now Jaime could see those sapphires without a piece of glass dulling the sparkle in her eyes. Jaime visibly gulped before he cleared his throat and pulled out one of the kitchen table chairs as she reached the bottom step.

“Would you like some tea?” He asked, hopefully. 

She shook her head, “No.”

“Coffee?” 

“No.”

“Orange juice?” He joked as he made his way towards the fridge to see what he could actually offer her. Still, she turned him down as she shook her head almost fondly towards him. “How about something to eat?”

“No.”

“Something to nibble?” Jaime pushes as he inspects the inside of his refrigerator. A jar catches his eyes, “Um, apricots soaked in honey?” He takes out the jar to show her, “I don’t know why they’re soaked in honey because it makes them not taste like apricots and taste like honey, and if you just wanted honey, you’d just buy honey instead of… apricots.” He looks at the jar and then back at her. Did he really just go on a tangent about apricots and is she… smiling? Oh, she was. Maybe he didn’t just bugger this all up.

“No.”

_ Nevermind,  _ Jaime groans. “Do you say no to everything?” He asks, almost jokingly.

She bites back a smile before one of her lips quirk up and Jaime notices a dimple creased into her upper left cheek, “No.” She says again. “I’d better get going. It was nice to meet you though…” She trails off, searching for something before Jaime realizes it’s his name she was fishing for. 

“Jaime,” He says, “My name is Jaime.”

Her eyes soften and she gives him, what he thinks, is a genuine smile, “Jaime.” She repeats. “Well thank you for your, uh, help.”

Jaime cracks a smile at her little joke and shuts the fridge, “Your welcome. And may I also say, you look stunning.” He can feel his cheeks start to burn as her smile becomes brighter, “I may not get the chance to say that because I know you’ll never come back to my shop after you read that terrible book.” 

She blushes sweetly and says, “Thank you.” Then she spins on her boots and saunters back to his front door, Jaime close on her heels. 

“So,” He says as they approach the door, “It was nice to meet you,” He runs a shaky hand through his golden locks that were starting to loosen up, “Surreal… but nice.” He knows he is staring but he doesn’t want those blue eyes to walk out of his life. “Sorry,” He mutters as he unlocks the door. She’s still smiling through the whole ordeal and Jaime honestly takes that as a win as she ducks out the door and leaves him alone. 

As soon as the door is shut, Jaime replays the last two minutes in his head. One hand on his forehead as he realizes what he said, “‘Surreal but nice’? What was I thinking?” He chastises out loud. 

He takes two steps away from the door, cursing at himself before the bell rings. 

Strolling towards it, he opens it casually to Brienne, standing there holding her purse with a sparkling smile. “Hi,” She says. 

“Hi!” Jaime breaths out, a little surprised she came back.

“I forgot my other bag,” She explains, breezily, as if she hadn't just stomped on his heart. 

“Oh, right.” He answers, dumbly “Right.” 

She steps back into his house and closes the door as Jaime goes to retrieve her bag from the hallway.  _ This is it _ , Jaime thinks when he gets back to her. Handing her the paper bag, she thanks him politely and he gives her a small smile. He waits for her to say something or leave once again but she doesn’t do either.

Instead she leans over towards him, wraps an arm around his neck and presses her lips to his. 

Jaime doesn’t move. With his hands tucked to his side, he lets the kiss take over and recharge him from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes. It wasn't a passionate kiss, or even a few pecks. It was one  _ long  _ smooth, smooch that had Jaime immediately question  _ everything _ in his life. He didn’t want her warmth to slip away. He wanted her lips on his all the time. 

But soon the dream faded and Brienne stole her lips away from him. She seemed to linger a bit in front of him, an uneasy smile playing on her lips as if she couldn’t believe she had just done that. Her mouth opened and closed like she wanted to say something but nothing was coming out. 

And Jaime? Well, Jaime was a bit speechless. Until, of course, he wasn’t.

“I’m really sorry about the ‘surreal but nice’ thing." He blurted out, "Disaster.”

Brienne raises an amusing eyebrow and tucks her bottom lip between her teeth, “That’s okay. I thought the apricot and honey thing was the real low point.” 

Jaime chuckles at her comment but is quickly cut off when a key is suddenly jerking the front door. Jaime looks from the door to her and sees the slight panic on her face but Jaime really doesn't know to calm her down because he’s slightly panicking too because she’s about to meet  _ Tormund _ . 

“Oh, my god. My flatmate,” Jaime says, his voice tight, “I am so sorry. There really is no excuse for him.”

She gives him a questioning look but before he can explain, the door slightly opens. Tormund slips inside with a cigarette tucked between his lips and a few bags linked around his bulky arms. His red, bushy hair grazes Brienne’s face as he strolls past her without even giving her a glance before he announces, “Hi. Don’t mind me, I’m just gonna unload the groceries. Then I’ve got a story that will make your balls shrink to the size of raisins.”

As Tormund disappears into the kitchen, Jaime thinks that that could have  _ definitely  _ gone worse. 

But Brienne doesn’t mention Tormund. Instead she just says, “Probably best we not mention this to anyone.”

“Right,” Jaime says, slowly, letting her words sink in. That is exactly the opposite of what he wants but he would respect her wishes, “Right, of course. No one. I mean I’ll tell myself sometimes but don’t worry, I won’t believe it.” 

Then she gives him one last soft smile, her eyes sparkle just a little and she’s out of his life for good. 

Jaime closes the door behind her and stares mindlessly at the umbrella that’s hanging from the wall, trying to process what just happened. 

“There’s something wrong with this yogurt.” Tormund says from the kitchen, breaking into Jaime’s thoughts. 

Jaime just stares at him bewildered for a moment before stating calmly, “That’s mayonnaise.” 

“Oh, yes,” Tormund agrees as he goes to take another bite. “Up for a video night?” He asks, “I’ve got some absolute classics.” 

Jaime just nods and brushes past him towards his room, “Just anything without Brienne Tarth, please.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated :) hope you liked the second chapter!


	3. Brightroar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tormund takes a message.

Turns out when Jaime told Tormund that a film with Brienne Tarth was out of the question, Tormund had forgotten to mention that every movie he picked up starred her in it. So the day Jaime Lannister kissed Brienne Tarth, he spent the night ogling her on his television screen for two hours and twenty minutes. 

He felt dirty, like he was a creep for watching her movies after he basically spent the day with her. But also he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was _mesmerizing_ to watch. She was playing a rich heiress in the Regency era that berated her for not living under a man’s thumb. She _shined_ in the role. It was perfectly suited for her which is probably why she won a _Golden Knight_ award for her performance. 

“I wish we picked a different one,” Tormund comments, his eyes not straying from the screen. Jaime waits for him to explain. Sometimes it wasn’t worth encouraging Tormund to go on his tangents, “I don’t see no skin!” 

Jaime rolls his eyes, grateful Tormund was sitting in the love seat a few feet in front of the couch that he was laying on so he couldn’t see Jaime’s reaction to his disgusting comment. 

“I think she looks lovely.” Jaime says. 

Two days later, Jaime is sitting outside up on the roof, going through his shop's records as Tormund is across the way, concocting yet another recipe for his own “special ale” that still remains nameless. Jaime hopes it always remains that way because according to Tormund, he only lets Jaime taste his drink when he thinks it's perfect and each time it's worse than the last.

He hears Tormund curse to himself and then a bottle crash before he looks up at him. He’s wearing what looks to be a red women’s blouse that is definitely too small for his massive biceps and skinny jeans that grip tightly to his thick hamstrings. His whisky beard reaches the middle of his chest and Jaime’s pretty sure there’s crumbs scattered throughout the ginger of his hair. 

“How’s it going over there, Tor?” Jaime asks, not really wanting him to answer. More because it was the right thing to do. 

“Fine, pretty boy,” He responds, gruffly. “Just another bottle.” 

Jaime just shrugs, not engaging. Tormund had called Jaime “pretty boy” since before he was calling him Jaime. Something about how he was as pretty as a peach and that _he_ belonged on the big screen. Jaime just laughed it off and left it well alone. 

He didn’t really like to admit it but he knew he was…pretty. He knew how women looked at him; like he was meat on a stick. But Jaime pretended to be clueless to their expressions when they would try to proposition him. 

Jaime had thick golden curls that he always kept short so it wouldn't bother him too much and bright green eyes that people always seemed to compliment first when meeting him. He was in decent shape for his age of thirty five, making sure to keep up with his workouts and eating relatively clean. Well, cleaner than how Tormund’s scarfs down his fast food he orders every night. 

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Tormund calls from across the roof, interrupting Jaime’s calculations. “Your brother left a message for you to ring him back. Something about a birthday party or something?”

“Thank you.” Jaime acknowledges, giving him a nod and turning back to his notes, “Any others?” 

“Hm…” He begins, trailing off as he’s in deep concentration with his recent recipe, “Oh, yes. Someone called Brienne? She sounded Westerosi.”

There was a beat before what Tormund said registered in Jaime’s mind. When it did, he shot up out of his chair, sending all his papers and pens flying from the table, “What?” Jaime demanded. “When?”

“Oh, about two days ago, I believe,” He exclaims, as if this was just another phone call from just another girl. Because Jaime had millions of girls calling his home number. 

“ _Two days ago_?” Jaime cries in disbelief, running a hand over his face, “Gods! What did she say?” 

“Something about how she’s staying at the Pentoshi Inn and wanted to meet up? She said for you to call her.” Jaime went to race for the phone, ready to dial before Tormund stopped him, “Wait!” He calls, except he doesn’t look up from his work, “She also said something about giving the manager another name. Not Brienne.”

Jaime waits for Tormund to explain what the hell that means, but instead he stays focused on pouring a ridiculous amount of honey into a bottle. As Jaime grows impatient, he asks, “Well, what was the name?” 

Tormund waits a moment before turning around to face him and shrugs, “Not a clue.”

Jaime gives him an exaggerated groan before darting back into his house, racing down the steps and dialing the number to the Pentoshi Inn. The phone rings twice before a man answers with, “Pentoshi Inn, how may I help you today?” 

Jaime takes a moment to catch his breath, “Hi,” he starts, calmly, “I’m looking for Brienne Tarth?” 

A beat passes, “There’s no Brienne Tarth here, sir.” 

_That damn name!_ Jaime swears, cursing Tormund. “I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, sir,” Jaime begins, playing the kind card, “But she called me about two days ago and my _idiot_ flatmate answered the call and didn’t tell me until about five minutes ago! If you would just––”

“I’m really sorry, sir, but I don't know what to tell you.” The man interrupts shortly but with a professional tone.

“Just––” Jaime tries again. 

“Try Brightroar.” A voice interrupts from behind Jaime. Tormund is standing there with a pondering look on his face, leaning against the doorway of the bathroom, just staring at him. 

Jaime’s face twists in confusion at the oddity of the name but at this point, what does he really have to lose? 

Jaime turns his attention back to the phone, “Er, what about a Brightroar?” He asks, feeling absolutely ridiculous.

There’s another pause on the other line, forcing Jaime’s heart to _race_ in anticipation, “One moment, sir.”

 _Shit!_ Jaime cheers. He can’t believe that worked. He’s about to talk to Brienne, again. He pushes the phone away from his mouth and starts to practice his greeting, “Hello! Hi. Er, hey––?”

“Hello?” A sweet voice rings through his ears. 

Jaime feels himself turn pink. Thank god there’s a phone between them. 

“Hi!” Jaime says, “It’s er, Jaime. Jaime Lannister.”

“Well it took you long enough,” Brienne says, her voice light but Jaime didn’t miss the slight shake in her tone, almost as if she was afraid he’d blow her off.

 _As if_ , Jaime scoffs.

He lets out a breath, sinking into the wall beside him, “I’m so sorry about that. My, um, flatmate never gave me your message and––”

“Oh, that’s alright.” She interrupts dismissively, shocking Jaime into closing his mouth shut. “I just wanted to know if you maybe wanted to stop by for tea? I wanted to discuss something with you, if that’s okay.”

“Tea?” Jaime questions, disbelieving her invitation to see him again. His voice, somehow, comes out all high and squeaky and he clears his throat to take it down a few notches, “I mean, sure. Of course. When?”

“How’s about around four? Does that work for you?” 

Jaime checks the time. Two hours until then. He smiles brightly, leans back against the wall and crosses one foot in front of the other as if he just won the lottery, “That sounds perfect.”

“Oh, wonderful.” Brienne exclaims, almost… excitedly? “I’ll see you then, Jaime.”

“See you then, Brienne.”

Then she hangs up. 

And the only thing Jaime can think of is, does he have a date with Brienne Tarth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! feedback is always welcomed :)


	4. National Geographic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime meets with Brienne again

Jaime arrived at the  _ Pentoshi Inn _ fifteen minutes earlier than he was expected. He wanted to make sure that he was punctual and properly dressed. So he wore a crisp white buttoned down shirt paired with black slacks and a green jacket that he hoped made his emerald eyes pop. 

He was ushered to her hotel room in a timely mannered fashion, almost as if they were treating his lunch with Brienne as a business transaction. One of the employees commented on the ice blue flowers he had acquired for her in the Astapor market but Jaime just shrugged it off. He was meeting with a  _ singular  _ woman. He might be just a commoner but Jaime just hoped that something small, like the flowers could compare to something grandiose, which she was probably used to. 

Taking a breath to calm his nerves, he brought his knuckles to her door and knocked confidently. 

A moment passed before the knob turned and a woman, who did not have beautiful sapphire eyes and silky blonde hair, answered the door. 

“Ah, another straggler.” She began with, glancing over her clipboard, in a waiting tone, “Just a warning, she doesn’t really respond well to lateness.” 

Jaime was about to argue that he was, indeed,  _ not  _ late but early. But he snuck a peek behind the young woman and noticed that the room was filled with men and women in business attire, all holding a notebook in their hands. 

Did Brienne invite him out for an interview? Did she think he was some reporter that just wanted a story out of her? 

Jaime went to proclaim that he was just another Pentos civilian but the woman beat him to it, “Can I have your name and the magazine you represent?”

He was about to set her straight, he really was, but what if Brienne found out he wasn’t a reporter and wouldn’t see him again? Jaime didn't want to lose this opportunity so he scanned the room to see if any magazines spilled across the room caught his eye. 

“Er…” Then one did, “ _ National Geographic _ .” The woman slowly raised her eyes to his and gave him a pointed look with one eyebrow raised. Apparently that wasn’t the right thing to say but Jaime wasn’t going to take it back. Instead he added, “I think she’s expecting me. Jaime Lannister?”

She nodded cautiously, writing something down in her notebook, “Okay. One moment, please.” Then she disappeared through one of the doors.

Jaime took a seat next to a tall man with dark hair and dressed in, what he could guess, was a ridiculously expensive suit. He gave the man a polite nod and then literally started to twiddle with his thumbs. 

“You got her flowers?” The man asked, judgment in his tone. 

“Yes,” Jaime answered, his eyes pinned to the door the woman had gone through, “I hear they’re her favorite.” 

The man didn’t say anything after that because the woman quickly reappeared from across the room, “Jaime Lannister?” She called, surveying the room to find him. When she did, she gave him a smile, “She’s ready for you.” 

Jaime shot up, startling himself, before he smoothed out his slacks and followed the woman through the door and into an intimate room with a lovely living room set. 

And there she was.

She was standing by the window, her muscular arms crossed across her chest. She was wearing a black pantsuit that he was pretty sure was tailored to perfectly fit her body and black simple heels. Her blonde hair was slicked back in a neat bun and she wore little makeup on her face, just a little mascara and lipstick that seemed to suit her nicely. 

When her eyes met his, he noticed that they sparkled against the sunlight and a small smile tugged at her lips. He opened his mouth to greet her, but Jaime hadn’t noticed a bald man standing in the corner, leaning over a table until the man cut off his words, “You have five minutes, sir. I’d use them wisely.”

Jaime looked from Brienne to the man, realizing that he was expecting Jaime to interview her. Right, of course, why he was here.

When he looked back at Brienne, she appeared to be holding in a laugh and then motioned for him to take the seat across from her. When he did, she put her hands in her lap and leaned a little forward, seemingly intrigued as to what his question was to be.

“Right,” Jaime started, settling his nerves. “Well the readers of, er,  _ National Geographic _ we’re wondering if… there could have been more, uh, animals in the movie.”

The man in the corner cleared his throat as Brienne played with a smile on her lips, “Well, it would,” She began, “But the movie was set in space.” 

_ Of course it was,  _ Jaime thought.

Jaime internally groaned but tried to play it off as best as he could. Luckily the man that seemed to be spying on them, had taken his leave from the room, leaving Jaime and Brienne alone together.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Jaime said, shaking his head to himself, “That was extremely mortifying.”

Brienne immediately shook her head, her smile not faltering, “No, please, I’m sorry. I thought all this—” She waved around the room, “Would be done with already.”

Jaime just shrugged, “That’s alright. As long as you know I’m not actually a  _ National Geographic  _ reporter and just am a bookshop owner.”

She chuckled smally before her attitude twisted into something serious, “Of course. But I actually invited you here to apologize,” Her cheeks started to flush into a deep red and her teeth were nervously tugging on her bottom lip.  _ What could she possibly be nervous about? _ “For the kiss?” She squeaked out, “That was a bit impulsive and inappropriate and I apologize if you weren’t into it.”

Jaime just stared at her, bewildered. How could she think he wasn’t into it. It was the best kiss he’d ever have the pleasure of having. But he wasn’t going to tell her that. He would play it cool. Or try to.

“Please don’t apologize for that,” Jaime said, as lightly as he could. “It was a wonderful kiss.”

“Oh,” Brienne said, thoughtfully, almost as if she wasn’t expecting that, “Yes, I believe it was.”

“Actually,” Jaime started, finding some courage in her positive answer, “I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out with me tonight? I don’t know how long you're going to be in town for but—” The shocked look in her eyes made Jaime think maybe he shouldn’t have asked that. “But I mean I know, er, our situations so you might not be able to or not want to or maybe you don’t date commoners—”

“I’d love to.”

That quickly shut Jaime up. And it seemed it also made him speechless. 

“Really?”

Brienne let loose a pretty smile that reached her eyes, “Of course.”

“Great! Then—” Suddenly Jaime remembered what he was doing tonight. Earlier, after he hung up with Brienne, he had called his brother. And tonight they were celebrating his birthday at his and his wife’s house. “ _ Bugger! _ ” Jaime cursed.

“What?” Brienne asked, confusion in her voice at his sudden change of tone.

Jaime ran a hand through his locks, nervously, “I forgot we’re celebrating my brother's birthday tonight.” 

“That’s alright,” Brienne said, her voice still a little bubbly.

“I’m so sorry,” Jaime winced.

“Oh, I meant that’s okay,” She tried to clarify, “As I’d love to be your date.”

Once again, she saw him speechless. He just stared dumbly at her before he blurted out, “ _ Oh! _ Oh, that’s perfect. Wonderful. Yes.” 

Was he really going to take Brienne Tarth to meet his family? 

“What-what time should I be ready?” She stammered, nerves shaking her words. 

“I can be here at 7? And we can walk over? It’s only two blocks from the hotel.” He offered.

“Sounds lovely. I’ll be in the lobby at 7.” She confirmed, with a bright smile across her face. 

“Great,” Jaime said. Then he peered around the room, remembering where he was. “Right, well, I’ll leave you to your work.” 

Brienne held out her hand, a teasing look in her eyes, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lannister. I hope you enjoyed the movie.”

Jaime couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his throat as he took her hand and gave it a firm shake, “Yes. The readers of  _ National Geographic  _ will be so happy.”

“I’m glad,” She said, and she seemed to really mean it, “I’ll see you at 7.” She said, a little softer.

Jaime gave her a nod, “Until then, my lady.” Then he spun on his heels and left her giggling in his wake. 

When he stepped out of the room, he couldn’t help the smile that stayed firm on his lips. No matter how hard he tried he could not get it to slip away. 

“Mr. Lannister?” a woman asked from behind him. Jaime turned quickly and realized it was the woman from before.

“Yes?” 

“The other cast members are ready for you now.”

Jaime’s heart dropped into his stomach. 

Looks like something could just wipe that  smile from his face and turn it into pure terror.

But still, Jaime followed the woman into another room, trying to come up with questions a nature magazine would ask about a movie that’s set in space. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i cut out a little if you remember from the movie so i ended it on the funny part lol sorry if you wanted to read that but i wasn’t feeling writing it 🙈


	5. The Last Brownie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime and Brienne go on their first date... to Jaime’s little brother’s birthday party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im a little nervous posting this chapter because i know how much everyone loves this scene so i hope i did it justice 🙈 also it’s a bit of a monster chapter so i hope you enjoy reading!!

The walk to Tyrion’s house, Jaime’s brother, was extremely pleasant. Jaime had arrived in the _Pentoshi Inn_ ’s lobby on time and with a beaming smile on his face when he saw Brienne waiting for him. She was wearing a pretty blue blouse paired with black loose jeans and blue sandals. She was worried she was too underdressed but Jaime told her she looked stunning. 

She had her blonde, straw colored hair dangled freely to her shoulders, curled lightly at the ends with two white clips securing her bangs so her hair wouldn’t fly into her face. She wore barely any makeup, which Jaime appreciated, because he could clearly map out every freckle danced across her cheeks like they were stars in the sky. 

They made small tall, their fingertips brushing briefly against each other as they strolled towards the party. Jaime warned her about his friends and brother but she just dismissed him and stated she was excited she was getting to meet them. She talked about the movie she was promoting and how she would be spending the next two weeks in Pentos filming another one. Jaime almost threw his fists in the air in celebration that he would have more time with her but kept his composure and just gave her a genuine smile. 

As they walked up Tyrion’s porch, Jaime’s nerves started to settle in. He no more had the distraction of Brienne’s company to forget that she was about to meet the most important people in his life on their first date. 

“Again,” Jaime repeated, his voice shaky, “I do apologize for any––”

“Please,” Brienne interrupted him. She placed a soothing hand on his forearm, “I’m sure they’re lovely, Jaime.”

Gods, the way she said his name sent gooseflesh up his arms. He just nodded at her dumbly and knocked on the door. 

A moment later, the door swung open and Jaime’s little brother appeared in a flash, “Come in,” He grumbled without even giving either of them a second glance, “We’ve got a dinner crisis, one moment.” And then he was gone. 

Brienne gave Jaime an amused look, before he just shrugged and stepped into the house, Brienne following closely behind. 

“Sorry about that,” A sweet voice came from the living room, “Tyrion seems to be butchering our fancy dinner.” 

Jaime laughed at his sister-in-law’s comment and guided Brienne to the living room to greet her, “I would expect nothing less, Tysha.” Jaime said. 

Tysha was a lovely woman with long dark curly hair and warm brown eyes. She always had a smile on her face, even if it was just a small one and she was always there with a helpful hand. Jaime appreciated her the most because he knew how much she loved his dysfunctional brother. Not only was Tyrion born with dwarfism but he was also born with sarcasm and some people couldn’t tolerate both. He was thankful Tysha could look past Tyrion’s wall of bullshit and see his brother for who he truly was, an incredibly intelligent, kind, and compassionate human being. 

As Jaime and Brienne approached Tysha, he could see her face twist into confusion as her eyes landed on Brienne.

“By the Seven,” Tysha started, “You are the spitting image of––”

“Tysha!” Jaime interrupted before she could make a fool of herself, “This is Brienne.” He gave her a pointed look.

Brienne held out her hand for a polite greeting as Tysha took it and let out a disbelieving chuckle, “Right.” She said, “Pleasure to meet you.”

“You as well.” Brienne grinned, taking her hand back, “Thank you for inviting me. You have a lovely home.” 

“Thank you!” Tyrion shouted from the kitchen, making Brienne jump a little before a shaky laugh escaped her throat. “Right, crisis over.” He muttered to himself as he dusted off his apron. 

“Tyrion,” Jaime said, as Tyrion started walking over to them, “This is Brienne.”

Tyrion had a welcoming smile plastered to his face as he held out his hand, “Hello Brienne,” As he shook it his smile immediately dropped, “Tarth.” He blurted out, realizing a famous actress just walked into his home. His bug eyes found Jaime’s for a fleeting moment before he sighed into another smile and said, “Have some wine.”

“Thank you,” She replied, and Jaime could tell she was thankful Tyrion didn’t make a big fuss over her status. 

The room fell into an awkward silence before the doorbell rang and interrupted them. 

“I’ll get it,” Tysha announced. 

She soon disappeared and Brienne locked eyes with Jaime. She seemed to be enjoying herself but Jaime couldn’t even imagine her situation. She was about to meet three undazzingling people that all knew of her, yet she was only just meeting them. Jaime hoped when he smiled back at her it was reassuring but he couldn’t quite tell because Tysha’s best friend, Elia Martell had barged into the room. 

She was wearing a simple, strapless pink dress with a black cardigan covering her shoulders and black heels on her feet to make her appear taller. Her dark brown hair curled around her shoulders and her rare, purple eyes were gleaming in the hallway light. 

“Wait! Elia—!” Tysha hissed as Elia walked in front of her. 

“Hi guys! Oh, holy fuck.” Elia completely stopped dead in her tracks the _moment_ her eyes laid on Brienne. Jaime had to swallow a laugh at her reaction but when his eyes met Brienne’s, she looked stricken, as if she was about to be in immediate danger. 

“Elia,” Jaime said, calmy, hoping his tone of voice would let Brienne know she was perfectly safe, “This is Brienne. Brienne, this is Elia. We’ve been friends since college.”

“Oh,” Brienne said. She turned back to Elia with a polite smile, “Hi.”

Elia brought her hand to her mouth in bewilderment, her jaw dropped, “Oh my gods, this is one of those key moments in life where I can be genuinely cool and I––I’m going to fail at it _completely_ .” She stepped a bit closer to Brienne, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, “I absolutely, utterly, adore you and I just think... you are one of the most _beautiful_ women in the world,” That comment made Brienne blush and break out into a sheepish smile but Elia was still talking, “And I think— well I’ve thought this for a while now— but I think we could be best friends!” 

The room went silent.

“So what do you think?” Elia squealed, practically on her tiptoes in anticipation of her answer. 

Brienne’s mouth slightly opened and then closed before she decided to answer, “Oh, lucky me,” with a soft smile.

Once again, and hopefully for the last time, the doorbell rang, interrupting the party. 

“Ah, that’ll be Addam,” Tyrion said, bluntly. 

As he left the room to get the door, Jaime noticed that Brienne had slowly inched more towards him and was gnawing on her bottom lip. He rested a hand over her crossed forearms and asked her, “Are you alright?”

Brienne nodded quickly, “They’re all so very kind.” 

Jaime went to answer but his best friend, Addam had walked in, apologizing for his lateness. He was wearing a blue suit with a purple tie and his dark copper hair looked as if he had just flown here in a convertible with the tops down. He smiled gallantly at everyone in the room, his eyes lingering a bit on Brienne. 

“Addam, this is Brienne, Jaime’s date.” Tyrion said, his eyes widening as he practically glared at Addam. 

The whole room expected more of a reaction out of Addam but instead he just held out his hand for a handshake from Brienne and said, “Lovely to meet you, Brienne. But I have to say I’m surprised you're here. Jaime never brings dates to dinner.” 

There was a teasing tone in his voice but the room was incredibly stiff because everyone had realized that Addam didn’t recognize Brienne. 

Brienne took it in stride, though, “And you,” She said, returning his firm shake. 

Then Addam turned towards Tyrion and handed him a horribly wrapped gift, “Happy Birthday, buddy. It’s just another history book from Jaime’s shop, so do it with what you will,” He turned towards Tysha and Elia, “Hello, ladies,” He greeted them before facing Jaime, “Hi, Jaime.”

Jaime just stared at him, completely baffled, “Hi…” He trailed off, studying the room to see if anyone else was in shock he didn’t recognize her, “Hi…” He looked from Brienne to Addam. Still nothing, “Hi…” He even caught Tyrion’s eye who looked like he was going to be defeated by a series of chuckles.

“What?” Addam asked, as soon the whole room settled in silence. 

Tyrion was the first to speak, “Wine, Addam?” He asked as he reached for the bottle.

“Yes, please,” He groaned as he grabbed a glass.

After that, Jaime decided to let Brienne mingle a little. Okay, he didn’t really decide. The room broke out in small talk and he got dragged away by Tyrion to help pour wine and set the table. Elia and Tysha were off gushing about Elia’s new beau and he noticed that Addam stole Brienne away for a chat but he couldn’t hear what they were talking about.

“Have you slept with her?” Tyrion asked in a low voice once they were alone.

“That’s absolutely none of your business, so the answer is, of course, no comment,” Jaime answered. 

Tyrion barked out a laugh, “No comment means, ‘yes’.”

“No it doesn’t,” Jaime insisted as he popped open a bottle. He was not having this conversation with his little brother. 

“Have you ever watched porn?” Tyrion pressed. 

“No comment.” Jaime replied, stubbornly.  
  
“See,” Tyrion said as he brought the wine to the dining room table, “it means yes.” 

Jaime just rolled his eyes and followed his brother to the table. Tyrion had placed his well cooked skirt steak in the middle of the table while Jaime brought over the peas and mashed potatoes. Then he started to set the same amount of plates as people at their respected chairs along with the forks, knives and napkins. 

When he was finished and the table looked presentable enough for company, Tyrion called everyone for dinner.

“Actually, Tysha,” Brienne interrupted, turning away from Addam and her pretty blue eyes catching Jaime’s, “Where is the…?” 

She flushed as her sentence trailed off but luckily Tysha understood her meaning, “Oh, just down the hall, first door to your left.”

“I’ll show her!” Elia announced, shooting up from her chair. 

She grabbed Brienne’s arm before she could argue and dragged her down the hall.

“Quick, quick, quick!” Tyrion hissed as he shuffled right into Jaime’s personal space. Tysha wasn’t too far behind him. “How the _fuck_ is Brienne Tarth in our house right now?”

Jaime could feel his cheeks darken, but before he could give them an explanation, Addam interrupted him when Tyrion dropped Brienne’s full name.

“ _Brienne Tarth_?” Addam demanded, louder than necessary. 

Tysha and Tyrion both shushed him to be quiet in a harsh whisper, “ _Shut up_!” 

“What, the film star?” Addam asked again, in disbelief. When both Tyrion and Tysha nodded their heads repeatedly, Addam slammed the palm of his hand to his forehead, “Oh, Gods. Oh, _fuck_!”

“What?” Jaime asked, his voice shaking, “What did you say to her?”

“I asked her what she did for a living!” Addam said.

Then Elia darted into the room, unsteady on her heels, “I don’t believe it. I actually walked into the loo with her. I was still talking when she was unbuttoning her jeans. She had to ask me to leave.” 

Tyrion broke into a fit of giggles, along with Elia once she realized what she did.

“Oh, Gods.” Jaime said under his breath. 

Addam turned to Elia, “So you knew who she was?”

Still laughing, Elia smacked Addam on the arm, “Of course I did, but you didn’t!” She turned to the rest of the group, “He didn’t. He didn’t!”

Addam became timid as he spoke into his glass, “Well not instantly but… I got away with it, I think.”

Tyrion and Elia couldn’t stop laughing as Tysha just held her chuckles into her palms. Jaime didn’t say anything. He was just thinking how he could fix this mess when Brienne came back in with a bright smile on her face, as if Elia _hadn’t_ stalked her to the bathroom.

“Something smells really good.” She said, once everyone’s eyes fell on her.

“Yes it does,” Jaime said, lunging toward her. He grabbed her hand quickly, before he could think of it, and brought her to the dining room table, hoping his family would follow them. 

He held out her chair for her as she took a graceful seat, giving him a smile as she eyed the food. He took the seat next to her and picked up his fork.

Eventually everyone else settled at the table and started a nice chat over dinner. The food was amazing, the conversation was fluent, and everyone, including Brienne, seemed to be having a nice time. They did presents, each giving Tyrion their own and watched him open them. Even Brienne gave him something small, a wonderful smelling cologne that Tyrion said he will use for the rest of his life. 

After presents was dessert. They sang to Tyrion, cheered when he blew out his candles and laughed when Tysha smeared cake all over his nose. Dessert was slowly coming to an end when all that was left was a single brownie. 

“You know Brienne,” Tyrion said, breaking the comfortable silence, “Having you here really puts into perspective how underachieved we are as a group.”

“Bummer,” Addam muttered, sarcastically.

“It’s not a bad thing,” Tyrion pointed out. “In fact, I think it’s something we should all be proud of. So I’m going to give the last brownie as a prize… for the saddest act here.”

Jaime didn’t hesitate as he peered across the dining room table and said, “Addam.”

The table erupted in laughter, even Brienne was giggling out of the corner of his eye. 

“All right, all right,” Addam started, raising a hand to stop the chatter, “Well obviously it’s me, right. I mean I work in the city in a job I don’t really understand and everyone keeps on getting promoted except me. I haven’t had a girlfriend since, well, puberty—”

The table laughed.

“And,” Addam went on, “Nobody fancies me. And if I never get a promotion, nobody will.”

“Nonsense,” Elia cut in, “I fancy you.”

Addam’s ears perked up, “Really?”

“Well I did until they skipped over you for a promotion.” She replied, a teasing smile forming on her lips.

“Haha,” Addam said, joining in with the table’s laughter, “You see.”

“But if I’m not mistaken,” Tyrion chided, “Your job still pays you a lot of money. Where Elia here, earns 20 pounds a week working her ass off at the world's most boring record store.”

“Yes!” Elia agreed, excited to take her turn, “And I’ve got weird purple eyes that make people afraid that I’m a mad Targaryen. And I talk too much for people to be interested in me. And I’m attracted to cruel men. And actually, no one will marry me because, um, my bossies have actually started shrinking.”

Elia tried to prop up her breasts in example as Addam mumbled, “Incredibly sad.” 

“But,” Tysha pointed out, “Her best friend _is_ Brienne Tarth.” 

Elia agreed, nodding her head contentedly as she lifted up her wine glass, “That’s true. Can’t deny that. She needs me. What can I say?”

The table cackled, Brienne’s louder than everyone else as she laughed in delight, raising her glass towards Elia. 

“Where as I,” Tysha went on, “Am stuck in this house all day, sending proposals to editors and only receiving rejection letters as my husband is off conquering the courts. And to make matters worse, I’ve totally given up smoking, my favorite thing.” 

She shared a loving look with Tyrion. 

“And, um,” Tysha started to squirm uncomfortably in her chair, struggling to get the words out before Tyrion linked his fingers through hers, “The truth is, we can’t have a baby.”

The room grew quiet. This was new news. Jaime didn’t know that they were trying to get pregnant, none the less _couldn’t_ get pregnant. His heart ached for his brother and his wife. He learned into the table a bit, wanting to just engulf them in a comforting hug. 

“Oh, Tysha.” He said, quietly.

Tysha took a breath and just shrugged him off, her eyes slowly becoming glassy, “It’s alright. We’re lucky in lots of other ways.” A soft smile appeared on her face as she met Tyrion’s eye, “But surely that’s worth a brownie.”

She went to go reach over the table for her prize when Tyrion stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Well I don’t know.” Tyrion said, giving her a tender look, “Look at Jaime.”

A sly grin spread across his face as his teasing eye met Jaime’s. Jaime visibly gulped as he realized Tyrion was going to rip him into shreds. 

“Very unsuccessful professionally,” Tyrion started, “Divorced. Is _extremely_ handsome but has no idea what to do with it. Never realizes when a girl is flirting with him and when _he_ flirts he just makes an absolute fool of himself. And absolutely certain never to hear from Brienne again once she’s heard his nickname at school was—”

“No, no.” Jaime tried to interrupt.

“The Golden Lion,” The entire table supplied in unison.

Jaime dropped his head in his palm, “You did. I can't believe it, you did.”

Elia’s laugh was the loudest of the bunch but Jaime could still hear Brienne’s giggle in his ear. He turned to look at her with a defeated look on his face as he shrugged and reached for the brownie, “Thanks very much. Thank you. Well, at least, I get the last brownie.”

“Well, wait.” Brienne announced, placing her hand on Jaime’s arm. Everyone turned to look at her. “What about me?” 

A beat passed before Tyrion scrunched up his nose and turned to her, “I’m sorry. You think you deserve the brownie?”

Brienne laughed softly, “Well, a shot at it at least.”

Jaime couldn’t help the smile that he gave her, “Alright,” He said, teasingly, “Well, you’ll have to prove it. This is a _very_ good brownie and I will fight for it.”

Brienne leaned back in her chair, her brain churning as she decided on what to start with, “Uh… I’ve been on a diet every day since I was nineteen. Which basically means I’ve been hungry for a decade. I’ve had a couple of unkind boyfriends, which, one of them,” She cleared her throat, obviously not proud of what she was going to say next, “Hit me. But don’t worry, I hit him back harder and then dumped his ass.”

Jaime felt something stirr in his pants.

“Hm...“ Brienne went on, “there’s always a news article that comes out at least once a week commenting on how ugly I am, so my self confidence is completely shattered. I don’t have many friends, as people are automatically intimidated when they meet me and I’ve never fallen in love.”

Jaime’s heart squeezed at that. 

Then Brienne’s bubbly tone shifted into something a bit more serious, her voice lowering and her eyes focused on the table in front of her, “And one day they will realize that I, in fact, _cannot_ act. And I’ll just be another, sad, middle aged woman who, at one time, looked a little like she was famous.” 

Her eyebrows lifted a bit when she finished, almost as if she had never admitted any of that to anyone else or herself. Jaime couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, though. It truly hit him that she was only human, with flaws and weaknesses like anyone else. He never admired her more than in that moment. 

As the table absorbed Brienne’s plea, everyone stayed quiet. 

The first one who spoke was, of course, Tyrion, “Eh, nice try, gorgeous, but you don’t fool anyone.”

Everyone, once again, joined together in laughter. Even Brienne, after her speech, roared louder than everyone else. She picked up her glass and took a sip, smiling the whole time. 

“Yes,” Jaime agreed, nodding to his brother, “What a _pathetic_ way to steal my brownie.”

Brienne bumped her shoulder into his, her cheeks flaring as she hid behind her glass. The table just kept the joy rolling, cracking jokes and telling funny stories. 

Jaime found out by the end of the night he _loved_ Brienne’s laugh. And he noted how different it was from the one he’s heard through his television. 

“Thank you for such a wonderful evening,” Brienne raved, shaking Tyrion’s hand, once the night was finished. 

“My pleasure,” Tyrion smiled. Then she leaned down and gave him a quick chaste kiss on the cheek. His cheeks flushed as she turned to his wife. 

“Lovely to meet you,” Brienne said, kissing her cheek as well. 

“Please, your welcome anytime.” Tysha insisted.

Brienne walked up to Elia, opened her mouth to say, “Goodnight,” but Elia grabbed her hand with both of hers and rambled, “Brienne, I’m so sorry about the loo thing. I meant to leave but I just—” Elia brought her hands up to her mouth to hide a giggle as she shook her head, “Oh!” She chirped, “Ring me if you ever want someone to shop with! I know _all_ the best vintage stores.”

“I’d love that,” Brienne replied, kindly. 

“It was so lovely to meet you!” Elia added but before Brienne could walk away, Elia grabbed her shoulders and said, “Sorry, can I just—” And then she enveloped Brienne into a tight hug. 

Brienne let out a soft laugh as Elia released her and Jaime put his hands on Elia’s shoulders to stop her from inching towards Brienne. “Leave her,” He said, lightly, purposely loud enough so the room could hear him. 

“Goodnight!” Brienne said, brightly as she followed Jaime towards the front door with everyone trailing behind. 

“Thank you, everyone.” Jaime announced, unlocking the latch.

“Call us!” They all chimed together. 

“Love your work,” Addam added, quickly. 

“Bye!”

And, once again, Jaime’s world consisted of only Brienne as they were left alone. 

And Jaime had no idea what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope you liked it! comments and kudos are always welcome 🤗 also the chapters might be getting longer as the story goes on i hope that’s okay :)
> 
> (also yes, elia has purple eyes only for this story haha)

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone!! so i think that there was a notting hill wip but i haven’t read it and i don’t think it’s been updated in a while and i just really wanted to write one for myself because i love this movie :) 
> 
> here’s a few things i just want to say before i start my first multi chap fic! :)
> 
> -jaime lives in velvet hill, pentos (which is a canon thing i looked it up) that is equivalent to notting hill, london  
> -brienne lives in kings landing which is equivalent to LA, USA 
> 
> -i stole a decent chunk of dialogue from the movie 🙈but i promise once the story goes on the plot will follow the movie but the dialogue will be mostly mine :) 
> 
> -this will closely follow the plot of the movie thou! 
> 
> -this is also technically set in the 90s lol
> 
> -i’ll update the tags as the story goes along :) 
> 
> -also comments are always appreciated if you like or want me to keep going because i really do want to finish this and i am going to but just be patient with me please i hope you liked the first chapter! and if your still reading this i appreciate you 🤗


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